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Time to Vote! Week One: Winter Wonderland

It's Time to Vote! A huge thank you to each and every one of our designers this week. They really have put their heart and souls into these looks and we are so grateful for them. The voting will be the same each and every week here at PR&P, so please scroll down and carefully see at all the looks and then find the poll at the bottom of the post. Remember that it is one vote per computer/IP address and please don't forget to give each of our designers some comment-love! They deserve it!!!! The poll will close on Thursday evening at 8 pm (MT) and we will let you know the results next Monday! Good luck to each of our designers.....we adore the work you have done!A Jennuine Life: Oh! What fun it is to ride

While brainstorming for ideas to fit the Winter Wonderland theme, one thought went to Arden's favorite song which is Jingle Bells. Regardless of the time of year. It's the song she asks us to sing to her at bedtime, and the same one she asks for to help calm her down when she's upset. With the song being about winter and horses I thought an equestrian look would be perfect for her. It doesn't hurt one bit that my cousin Angel lives nearby and has an adorable pony named Sweet Pea with whom Arden is utterly infatuated! We had so much fun at Haven Acres Farm playing in the snow and taking Sweet Pea out for a pony walk. Angel even broke out the bell strap so we came very close to the "bells on bobtail ring" verse of the song as we jingled along!

The riding helmet inspired hat is my own Camper Hat pattern, adapted by lengthening the crown, adding a brim and some fun pony ears. All hats are cuter with animal ears, right? The rest of the outfit is my interpretation of dressage riding attire. For the coat, I began with See Kate Sew's Bubblegum Coat pattern, but changed pretty much everything except the shoulder seam and sleeves. I drafted a double-breasted coat with a high-low hemline and a combination of pointy and rounded collars which I think keeps it looking like it's for a child and not a small adult. The coat fabric is red tag upholstery fabric and resembles wool felt. It's nice and thick and cozy. It's fully lined with a pink pin dot polyester charmeuse, and the same bright pink boucle fabric as the hat for the collar and elbow patches. The pants are Blank Slate Pattern's Clean Slate Pants, but I used the 5T length and the 2T width as well as some other nips and buttonhole elastic to make them very close fitting like true riding pants for my long-legged girl. I added in the blocking for the curved seat, which carries across the front and back pattern pieces. I thought this panel was to make the pants more durable, but my cousin told me it's to help the rider grip the saddle. The upholstery fabric worked well for the saddle grip panel, and the outer fabric is a flocked brocade stretch denim. I made one back pocket with a zippered welt and a bright pink zipper and made my first zip fly thanks to Melly's great instruction! When Sweet Pea was ready to head out, we swapped out the pony ear hat for the riding helmet. Safety first! Angel is holding a lead just out of frame in all these shots.

Visit A Jennuine Life for more photos and information about my winter equestrian look. Plus, you can see more of Sweet Pea!

Frances Suzanne--Black Ice & A Guardian "Snow" Angel

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While we dream of a winter wonderland, filled with peaceful, serene snow scenes, our reality is that of black ice, occasional spitting snow, and lots of prayers said as Southerners attempt to drive in wintry conditions. Thus, our vision for "Winter Wonderland" was born. Little sister {CL} was the 'accessory piece' to the look - being a stand-in Guardian 'Snow' Angel. Her mint corduroy dress gave a feeling of winter, and the pearl trim around the yoke area was a nod to an angel's halo...albeit around her neck. CL's cape reminded us of child-made snow angels, and seemed to compliment her dress nicely.

We welcome you to visit us over at Frances Suzanne for more photos, details, and pattern modifications of our "Black Ice & a Guardian 'Snow' Angel" inspired outfits!!

Froo and Boo--Winter Wonderland in San Francisco

Winter in the San Francisco bay area has been quite sunny and mild. Instead of a traditional cold-weather look, I designed a collection of layering pieces for Froo--in romantic shades of winter whites, with pops of gold and black to provide visual interest. We spent an afternoon ice skating at Union Square and sure enough, Froo eventually peeled off each outer layer and ended up in her first layers! We also spent an afternoon at the San Jose Christmas in the Park--where I took more photos of Froo in her coat dress since one of the buttons popped off right before our San Francisco photo shoot. Talk about an inopportune time for a wardrobe malfunction!

There are 4 pieces that coordinate together to complete my Winter Wonderland collection. I started with a 3/4 length sleeve ballerina top in knit cream with gold raised polka dots and a hand stitched gold sequin faux Peter Pan collar. I paired the top with a tutu that is lined with the same knit fabric, trimmed with layers of lace and shimmer tulle. The waistband is made with wide black sequin elastic. My favourite piece is the metallic coat dress with a narrow black velvet ribbon "belt"--a classic tailored style that can hold its own. A quilted sherpa vest with a rounded hi-lo hem and ornate golden hook closures finishes off the outfit. Each piece has detailed elements, combined with the unique textures of the fabric that create an overall look that is soft, feminine, sparkly, with a definite romantic feel of a magical Winter Wonderland!

I hope you enjoyed Froo's outfit! There are oodles of details and photos that I would love to share with you on my blog at Froo & Boo.Paisley Roots--Falling Slowly

I am so excited that Project Run & Play is finally starting! I know you know the theme is Winter Wonderland. So let's get right into it and explain how my look came to be.

When brainstorming a look for the Winter Wonderland theme, there was one image I couldn’t get out of my mind: The quiet gently falling snow. I just knew I had to make a white dress. Our winters are always pretty snowy, so it’s no wonder I was so inspired by it (I’m sure most of you know what I mean). I love to play with texture, so I chose to use a white lace to make an overdress using the Caroline Party Dress by Mouse House Creations. Obviously any overdress needs an underdress, so I drafted a soft & feminine sweetheart dress out of ivory satin. I got the gentle snow look that I was going for.Winters do get very cold here, so my look definitely needed a jacket. I looked through photos of classic coat designs and chose aspects that I loved from each and drafted the perfect trench coat. I found the tan water resistant fabric for $2.50 a yard and lined it with minky to keep her warm while she frolics in the snow. The hardest part of this coat was finding enough buttons...so many buttons.I think every look needs accessories, so I made a purse with a matching hair bow and belt out of faux leather. I “topped” off the look with a very 1920’s cloche using felt and an overlay of the same lace I used for the dress. The faux leather bow & band brought it all together. I had so much fun making this look and even more fun spending time in the falling snow taking pictures of my crazy little model (and making memories, too). You can head over to my blog for a LOT more pictures and some bloopers, too.

Begins with B--Hello Seattle

Winter in Seattle: rain, rain....and usually even more rain. So I set to work to create a jacket that is perfect for the city in which we live. Then paired it with handmade skinny jeans that remind me of our many cloudy days. As I started to research sewing your own outerwear I was almost scared away from the idea. Not only is the fabric expensive but sew one seam wrong and the entire piece is unusable because of the holes left by the needle. Not to mention each seam needed to be seam taped to prevent water from leaking through. However, after hours of research and many more hours spent sewing and seam taping and then sewing some more I am thrilled with the outcome.

Come on over to BEGINwithB for more about the process, helpful links, and of course more pictures.

I'm Feelin' Crafty--What Does The Arctic Fox Say?﻿

I can't believe we're starting Season 8 today! What does Winter Wonderland translate to in my world? Winter=Cold=Snow=White=Fur=Arctic Fox!

And so I bring you my Arctic Fox! I know, you're probably thinking my outfit should be all white, right? Well, arctic foxes change from a brown to grey to white in the winter. And for logistics of a 5 year old, puddle loving boy, an all white outfit just didn't fit the bill! I started with a quilted white coat. I wanted to bring in my quilting, so I quilted the outside of the coat with a layer of water resistant nylon and a layer of fleece. Then incorporated a light gray fur aligning the zipper and wrapping around the hoodie and a light grey knit for the cuffs and waist band. The interior of the coat transfers into the darker, furry grey fleece.

After the coat, my most favorite part of the outfit is the t-shirt. I wanted to bring in all the shades of grey. The light sleeves and side accent, the middle tone front and back and the darker neck. I was stocked with how the sides turned out, but even more excited about my arctic fox stencil! Then came the pants, a cute little pair of grey skinny jeans with a tiny bit of the teal accent color to coordinate with the fox stencil eyes! And I had to make a couple of accents, so then came the mask and the funky hat! The kiddo wanted the ears on the coat, but we compromised with a silly arctic fox with a Mohawk warm furry hat to coordinate with the rest of the pieces!

I hope you like my outfit as much as we do! hint hint.... And be sure to jump over to my blog, I'm Feelin' Crafty, for tons more pictures and details on the design and process (and silly stories!) today. And a tutorial and printable later in the week! Thank you!

Fabulous! I get so inspired by looking at these wonderful outfits!!!! I can hardly decide who to vote for as each one shows such planning, great sewing skills, and children that look so PROUD that their mothers sewed this outfit JUST FOR THEM. Deborah

I don't want to vote! I wish I had more votes. I don't think its fair to vote for sew along challenges, because everyone is amazing, and everyone is a friend! Great job, I knew sew along month would be awesome, but I can't believe everyone sewed sew many great pieces!Wow!with love,-Jo

I seriously love what each of the designers did! That riding outfit with the pops of pink - super cute, Frances Suzanne - as always the queens of details, such a intelligent and sweet layering by Froo and Boo, the stunning lace dress and the super fun fox-tee-shirt. However, I'm so impressed by Begin with B ' s jacket that I had to vote for that one! Wow, a wind- and waterproof jacket! That is amazing!

Absolutely stunned and amazed at the talented ladies we are up against this season....SERIOUSLY!! Each entry is so amazing, creative, and professionally designed/created. We are thrilled to be a part of such a phenomenal season!!

The jacket that was made for Hello Seattle is simply AMAZING. So much time, effort and thoughtfulness went into this piece. If this outfit does not win, something is surely wrong with how the contest is judged as far as talent is concerned.